REAL ID Deadline Pushed Back Again

For the third time, the Department of Homeland Security has pushed back the Real ID deadline for travelers. Domestic air travelers will be required to have a Real ID driver's license or other federally approved ID (such as a passport) to fly. The program was set to be in place beginning May 2023 but has now been delayed two years until May 7, 2025. The first two delays were due to Covid-19. The extension was made so that travelers have enough time to complete the requirements of getting a Real ID. DMVs across the country are still dealing with a backlog that accumulated during the Covid shutdowns.

I know I personally had to drive over an hour each way just to get a passport appointment this summer so I can understand that people are having issues complying with this requirement. I personally will probably not be in too much of a hurry to get one since I do have a passport I can use. Though the next time I need to get my driver's license renewed and already have to make a trip to the DMV I'll opt for this one. Regardless pushing the Real ID deadline back will make life easier for travelers and avoid that last-minute hassle to get approved identification.

According to the DHS

Passed by Congress in 2005, the REAL ID Act enacted the 9/11 Commission's recommendation that the Federal Government “set standards for the issuance of sources of identification, such as driver's licenses.” The Act established minimum security standards for state-issued driver's licenses and identification cards and prohibits certain federal agencies from accepting for official purposes licenses and identification cards from states that do not meet these standards. These purposes are:

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Flying can be stressful these days. And for the most part, you don't have too many options where you fly out or into. So when you need to get to your destination on time, it's comforting to know that our local airport-Charlotte Douglas- ranks as one of the most on-time US Airports. I've flown several times in the past few months in/out of a total of 6 different airports and somehow I've gotten lucky and not had any significant delays or issues. But I'm well aware that's not commonplace. Which is why this is such a telling and remarkable statistic.

It comes from a study by Booking.com, in which they ranked the US airports based on a number of key metrics. This included the percentage of flights that depart on time which is what Charlotte-Douglas ranked high in. To create their overall rankings they also used the average Google review score, average daily aircraft operations, total passengers on flights, the number of shops and restaurants, and other metrics. CLT didn't crack the top 10 for overall rankings, but timeliness is in my opinion the most important. Shops and restaurants are nice, but ultimately I'm in the airport to get to somewhere else.

Keep reading to see exactly where Charlotte Douglas ranked for on-time flights (hint it's top 5). You'll also find the top 10 highest-rated US Airports. Want to read the full Booking.com study? You can do so here.

City: Atlanta

% of flights on time: 87.1

City: Honolulu

% of flights on time: 85.97

City: Minneapolis

% of flights on time: 85.91

City: Salt Lake City

% of flights on time: 85.27

City: Charlotte

% of flights on time: 85.23

City: Chicago

Score (Out of 10): 7.1

% On Time: 80.3

Avg. Google Review Score: 4

Avg. Daily Aircraft Operations: 2520

Shops: 105

Restaurants: 165

City: New York (Queens)

Score (Out of 10): 7.0

% On Time: 77.8

Avg. Google Review Score: 4

Avg. Daily Aircraft Operations: 1249

Shops: 121

Restaurants: 139

City: San Francisco

Score (Out of 10): 6.5

% On Time: 82.6

Avg. Google Review Score: 4.3

Avg. Daily Aircraft Operations: 1256

Shops: 59

Restaurants: 66

City: Denver

Score (Out of 10): 6.2

% On Time: 77.3

Avg. Google Review Score: 4.2

Avg. Daily Aircraft Operations: 1731

Shops: 87

Restaurants: 91

City: Minneapolis

Score (Out of 10): 6.1

% On Time: 85.9

Avg. Google Review Score: 4.3

Avg. Daily Aircraft Operations: 1113

Shops: 33

Restaurants: 66

City: Glen Burnie

Score (Out of 10): 6.1

% On Time: 78.9

Avg. Google Review Score: 4.3

Avg. Daily Aircraft Operations: 719

Shops: 49

Restaurants: 59

City: Los Angeles

Score (Out of 10): 6.0

% On Time: 81.4

Avg. Google Review Score: 3.9

Avg. Daily Aircraft Operations: 1894

Shops: 85

Restaurants: 92

City: Newark

Score (Out of 10): 5.9

% On Time: 73.6

Avg. Google Review Score: 3.7

Avg. Daily Aircraft Operations: 1223

Shops: 75

Restaurants: 126

City: Detroit

Score (Out of 10): 5.9

% On Time: 84.7

Avg. Google Review Score: 4.3

Avg. Daily Aircraft Operations: 1087

Shops: 30

Restaurants: 48

City: Pittsburgh

Score (Out of 10): 5.8

% On Time: 78.5

Avg. Google Review Score: 4.5

Avg. Daily Aircraft Operations: 406

Shops: 17

Restaurants: 25